Guns´N´Roses-Your Illusion II (1991)

In 1991, Guns N' Roses made the unusual decision to release two double albums simultaneously, titled "User Your Illusion I & II", which astonished the world with their eclectic and visceral hard rock. With the same lineup as their previous albums, except for original drummer Steve Adler, who was replaced here by Matt Sorum, the rest of the band consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed. On this second volume, highlights include the inspired "Civil War", one of Guns N' Roses' classic tracks, the epic cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", the punk anthem "Shotgun Blues", the grandiose "Breakdown", the heartfelt ballad "Don't Cry" (in a different version than the one on the first volume), and the powerful rock anthem "You Could Be Mine". The subsequent commercial reception of both works resulted in much higher sales for "Use Your Illusion I", figures that currently approach thirty million, compared to the approximately twenty million of "Use Your Illusion II", but it would be the latter that reached the number one spot on both sides of the Atlantic in the charts, while volume one would not go beyond second place.

Iron Maiden-Live After Death (1985)

“Live After Death” was Iron Maiden’s first live album and would ultimately become their most representative live record and a masterpiece of heavy metal. Recorded during the tour following the 1984 album “Powerslave”, dubbed the “World Slavery Tour”, it symbolizes the peak form of a band already considered the most spectacular heavy metal band in the world, faithfully reflecting the power and force they wielded on stage. The tracks on this double album were recorded during several concerts in the United States and England and featured what is considered the band’s most stable, long-lasting, and successful lineup. In addition to bassist Steve Harris, the lineup included vocalist Bruce Dickinson, guitarists Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, and drummer Nicko McBrain. “Live After Death”, from its iconic cover art by renowned illustrator Derek Riggs, reveals a repertoire brimming with pure adrenaline, boasting an explosive arsenal of powerful tracks such as “Aces High”, “2 Minutes to Midnight”, “The Trooper”, “Revelations”, “Flight of Icarus”, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, “The Number of the Beast”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, “Sanctuary”, and “Phantom of the Opera”, all true anthems of Iron Maiden and heavy metal in general. The subsequent reception of this double live album was as phenomenal as its content, achieving countless number one hits worldwide and several platinum records for its multi-million sales.

Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (1984)

In mid-1976, Deep Purple disbanded, just after the tour following the album "Come Taste the Band", and from then on, its surviving members focused on different projects. A year earlier, Ritchie Blackmore had founded his own band, Rainbow, and Ian Gillan had done the same with his Ian Gillan Band; both had left Deep Purple a few years prior. 

Meanwhile, Jon Lord and Ian Paice joined David Coverdale to found Whitesnake, and finally, Glenn Hughes and Tommy Bolin pursued different solo projects. Eight years later, Deep Purple's classic lineup, the so-called Mark II, the one that created such monumental works as "In Rock", "Machine Head", "Made in Japan", and "Fireball", reunited to record a new and highly anticipated album that generated immense excitement worldwide within the rock scene. This lineup, composed of the legendary Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, and Roger Glover, headed to Horizons Studios in Vermont and recorded Deep Purple's eleventh album, "Perfect Strangers". However, the sound departs somewhat from the characteristic style of the 70s, leaning instead towards the more modern sounds of the 80s, creating an elegant and understated work closer to classic rock than hard rock. The opening track, "Knocking At Your Back Door", is the best example of this, as is the concise "Under the Gun", while the party-ready "Nobody's Home" showcases the band's sound. the band's 80s sound. The Zeppelin-esque and epic "Perfect Strangers" is the high point, contrasting with the neoclassical tracks, heirs to Rainbow's sound, "A Gypsy Kiss" and "Hungry Daze", before ending with the breathtaking ballad "Wasted Sunsets". 

As expected, the album would achieve enormous worldwide success.

Budgie-Never Turn Your Back On A Friend (1973)

1973 was the year Budgie captured the attention of the rock world with their album "Turn Your Back On A Friend," a thunderous example of the best heavy rock of the early 70s. From the opening track, a true heavy metal anthem, "Breadfan," to the devastating and heavy hard rock track "You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk," the album explores paths that border on progressive sounds and the heavy metal cult following of contemporary bands like Black Sabbath.

Other standout tracks include the galloping "Baby Please Do Not Go" and the poignant "You Know I'll Always Love You," thus closing out a truly epic and memorable album from the Welsh band Budgie.

The Pentangle-Basket Of Light (1969)

The Pentangle were one of the first English bands to fuse British folk with jazz and blues, at a time when the term "prog-folk" didn't yet exist, when they released their debut album. Founded in the mid-sixties by two of the greatest guitarists in acoustic folk, John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, both already had significant solo careers before joining forces for this project. Folk singer Jacqui McShee, who had already collaborated with Renbourn on his first album, also joined them, and along with former members of the Alexis Korner Blues Band, Terry Cox (drums) and bassist Danny Thompson, completed the lineup of The Pentangle. In 1968, their first album arrived, a masterful blend of jazz and folk fused with elements of blues. That same year, their second album, "Sweet Child", was released a double LP containing studio and live tracks, notably Charlie Mingus's compositions "Haitian Fight Song" and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat". A year later came the album we're discussing here, "Basket of Light", their masterpiece, where they achieved the perfect balance between traditional folk songs and their jazz and blues style, all infused with medieval musical influences, resulting in a more cohesive sound than "Sweet Child". An album that, starting with its famous cover, which shows the band performing in a packed Royal Albert Hall, arrived at the height of their popularity. “Basket of Light” opens with one of the group's signature songs, “Light Flight”, a complex piece on which McShee lends his superb vocals. The traditional “Once I Had a Sweetheart” showcases Renbourn's virtuosity on the sitar, while “Spring Time Promises” is another elaborate composition, this time featuring Jansch on lead vocals. After the traditional jazzy “Like Wake-Up Call”, arranged for three voices, comes the somber “Hunting Song”, another popular composition, which gives way to the bluesy “Trian Song”, a superb piece with a development between accelerated and slowed rhythms, featuring McShee's vocals. Meanwhile, “Sally Go Round The Roses”, a composition by Phil Spector, is the most cheerful track with a style closer to funk, ending with the medieval “The Cuckoo” and “House Carpenter”, thus closing an album of great timeless beauty and one of the masterpieces of British jazz-folk-blues of all time.